


Free Flying

by thebiffstar



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Badger!Joel, Hybrid!AU, Longhorn!Ryan, M/M, Rabbit!Ray, bird!gavin, cat!Michael, lion!Jack, ram!Geoff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-03 21:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1757115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebiffstar/pseuds/thebiffstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you were a hybrid then it was almost guaranteed your life was going to be hard, painful, and just plain awful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In The Begining

If you were a hybrid then it was almost guaranteed your life was going to be hard, painful, and just plain awful. You could be lucky; you could be born into a nice wealthy family as a pet. Or you could be born into an underground hybrid community, where you could have a semi-normal life.

But then again, you could be very unlucky as well. You could be born into a facility; much like the one Michael had been taken to when he was captured. You could be tested and experimented on since birth. Most hybrids born in these facilities were feral. Never given a chance to learn how to be human or hybrid. Never shown affection, only pain. Never taught how to read, write, or speak.

These facilities could get away with these horrible actions because they targeted hybrids. Those with animal features, those who were considered less than human.

Michael’s sleek, ginger tail flicked back and forth in an agitated manor, he watched the scientists move around his glass prison as if they were examining a fucking tree or something. His ears lied low against his head as he glared at the men.  The bastards had captured him in between safe havens, dragging him here, where he was to be tested upon. 

He looked around the room, smirking when he noticed what appeared to be an intern. The young man was shaking, holding on to his clipboard a little too tight. Michael gave him an evil grin full of sharp teeth. His eyes flickered feline, when he saw the intern jump. The young man went so pale Michael thought he was going to pass out.

He was only slightly disappointed when the intern ran out of the room dropping his clipboard.

He returned to glaring at the scientists.

Michael lazily looked up when he heard a soft clanging noise and an even softer ruffling noise. He didn’t let his ears jump up; he kept them down as to not alert the scientists. He wasn’t sure if this was something of theirs or something else.

His question was answered when a large air grate dropped from the ceiling, crushing one of the two scientists that were in the room.  Something else dropped from the ceiling as well. It dove for the other scientist, smashing him into the wall.

When the figurative dust cleared, Michael saw a giant pair of brown wings. The man attached to them didn’t look much older than Michael, but he was taller with sandy blond hair. He ran up to the cage and smashed the panel that kept the cage locked with his elbow. The door swung opened and Michael couldn’t help but feel like some prissy princess that you have to rescue to win the video game.

It didn’t help that after the door open the asshole held out his hand and said:

“Come on, love, let’s get you out of here.” Oh great. He was British.

Michael slapped his hand away, walking out of the cage, brushing past him. “Fuck you.” He said, stopping, turning back to the avian hybrid.  He had no idea how to get out of this place so it turned out he needed the guy.  The bird gave him a weird look that turned into a stupid grin.

“I’m Gavin.” The bird said happily, walking over to the grate that was on the floor.

“Michael.” He told the bird, following him. He raised an eyebrow at the rope that dropped down. Gavin grabbed it and wrapped it around Michael’s waist.

“Hold on tight, love.” He smiled at Michael and gave the rope a tug, stepping back.

Michael knew what was going to happen. He was going to be hoisted into the air. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

 

Gavin apparently was high up in a hybrid freedom fighting group called Achievement Hunters.  Michael had run into one or two of their members while resting in safe havens. He had actually considered join them before he got captured. The leader of the group was Geoff Ramsey, which was ironic given that he was a Ram hybrid.

Geoff offered him a spot on his personal team. Apparently they had thought about recruiting him for a while.

Michael didn’t know why, but he accepted Geoff’s offer.  And was tackled by a squawking Gavin, who apparently didn’t understand English and couldn’t guess what ‘get the fuck away from me’ meant.

 

The others on Geoff team besides Gavin were Jack who was a lion hybrid and Ryan who was a long horned bull hybrid. Both were much more preferable company to Gavin who was apparently born to get on Michael’s last nerve.

Over the few months Michael worked with them, Michaels grew close to Gavin, finally admitting that they were friends. After that Michael and Gavin were almost inseparable.  Team Nice Dynamite they called themselves.

 

“GAVIN!” He yelled in rage, attempting to pounce on his friend. The Brit just jumped up onto the roof of the cafeteria in their camp. A flap of Gavin’s wings giving him the extra boost to make it. “I’M GOING TO FUCKIN KILL YOU!” the bird hybrid continued to laugh as Michael climbed on to the roof just as quickly as Gavin had.

“But Michael!”Gavin whined with a smile.

“ _But Micool._ ” Michael imitated Gavin in a high voice and a surprisingly good accent, which only made Gavin laugh harder. “Stop putting fucking catnip in my pillow!”  Michael pounced again, barely missing Gavin, on purpose this time. Gavin shrieked jumping off the roof.

Michael was about to pounce again from above Geoff called out from his office. “Hey shitheads! Stop fucking around and get in here. We’ve got another mission.”

 

Michael and Gavin were in some deep shit. Not only was Michael injured, but they couldn’t contact Geoff and the others. Gavin looked out from behind the dumpster they were hiding behind again. His wings twitched nervously under his cloak.  The alley was dark, wet, and full of trash. It was the only one that wasn’t roofed; they needed that in case they needed to make a quick escape, however it basically drenched them in rain.

“Stop that!” Michael hissed at him in equal measures of caution and pain. He held his arm cradle to his chest as he sat slumped against a wall. “They might see you. Just fucking come here.” He gestured with his head for Gavin to sit next to him.

“This is my fault.” Gavin whispered to himself, but Michael’s ears picked it up.

“Don’t be a dumbass. This,” he looked pointedly at his arm, making sure Gavin was looking at him before continuing, “was my fault. Not yours. If you even think that one more time I’ll ripe off my fucking arm and beat you with it.” The whispered threat didn’t hold as much power as Michael’s normal threats but Gavin nodded nonetheless.

Michael leaned against Gavin so they were basically plastered to each other’s sides. Neither one said anything. No words were exchanged. It was silent aside from the drizzling rain. Michael’s ear twitched, picking up the sound of one person running. It was from the other side of the walled in alley though.

Suddenly it was gone, Michael blinked. What the fuck? People don’t- He jumped when something- someone landed in front of them with a grunt. Gavin was on his feet in seconds, jumping up in front of Michael.

The man was a hybrid, Rabbit if the high standing ears had anything to say about it. Michael was more surprised by who it was rather than his sudden appearance.

“Gavin, it’s okay. I know him. X-Ray!” Gavin’s  wings relaxed under his  dark green cloak “You motherfucker, it’s good to see you.”

Ray laughed quietly. “Hey Mogar, long time no see.”

“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were looking for haven in New York?” Michael stood, he toke the hand Gavin offered him. He hissed in pain when he was finally standing, his injured arm having been jostled. 

“Found it, it was eh.” He shrugged. “Heard that you joined the AH, I thought ‘YOLO’ and came here to find you. I’ve been here a few days trying to find a way to get a message to you. I found your friends, Geoff, Jack, and Ryan.”

“Are they okay?!” Gavin asked a little too loud. Michael cuffed the back of his head, shushing him.

“They’re fine, worried about you two. They’re waiting back at the haven here for you guys. I volunteered to come out and find you guys while they laid low. By the looks of it, I’d say I’m right on time.” He said eyeing Michael’s arm, he turned to Gavin. “I’m Ray by the way.” He held out his hand.

“I’m Vav- Gaivn.” Gavin blushed red shaking Ray’s hand. Ray smiled widened.

“Can you fly?” Ray asked

Gavin nodded, “It’s too risky though. I got too big a ‘span not to be seen.”

“That’s fine, but can you jump high? We need to get Michael here over that wall.” Ray looked between the wall, Gavin, and Michael. “I don’t think he’s in any state to make it himself.”

Michael wanted to argue that he wasn’t invalid when his vision blurred a bit and he swayed on his feet, stumbling a little into Gavin. The Brit instantly wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. Fuckin’ blood loss.

“Yeah.” Gavin agreed quickly.

“Here…” Michael blacked out a little as they manhandled him so that he was sitting on their arms like a swing.

“Ready?” Ray asked.

“Yeah, on the count of three.” Gavin agreed.

“One.” Michael could feel them crouching.

“Two.”

“Three!”

 

Apparently Michael had passed out after they cleared the wall. And apparently they had made it over the wall because when he came to again, it was to Geoff yelling incoherently at everyone. Well incoherently for him. He was sure Geoff had some words for everyone on just how this mission turned into a clusterfuck.  He blinked awake and looked around the room.

It was small, though Gavin, Ray, Jack, Ryan, and Geoff could fit in it even with Michael in a bed. Ray was standing off in a corner watching. He was the first to notice Michael was awake, nodding to him before clearing his throat.

Ray joins their team that night. Geoff was impressed by his skill and was thankful for Ray’s help in saving Michael and Gavin.


	2. Loss

_One Year Later…_

Gavin flew above Jack, Geoff, and Michael, giving them instructions on dodging the Hybrid Hunters.  They had somehow found out the location of one of AH’s several bases. Ray and Ryan were helping evacuate the bases while they lead the hunters on a wild goose chase.

Gavin landed in a tree near Michael, checking to be sure the hunters were following them.  That’s when he saw a huge, canon like, gun that one of the hunters carried.  It was aimed at Michael. Gave dove down, landing between Michael and the gun as it fired.

He cried out in pain when some belt like thing pinned his right wing to his chest. It hurt a lot, there was no way he’d be able to fly after he got the belt thing off. Suddenly another belt thing wrapped around his legs, drawing them together so quickly that it sent Gavin to the ground. His arms and left wing flayed uselessly as he fell. He pushed himself up on his elbows.

Michael must have heard him because Gavin watched his boi skid to a halt spinning around with an angry expression that morphed into one of panic when his eyes narrowed on Gavin.

“GAVIN!” Michael yelled, drawing Geoff and Jack’s attentions. They both turned and started running towards Gavin, and unfortunately to the hunters.

“NO!” He screamed at them. “RUN YOU IDOITS! SAVE YOURSELVES!”  If they came any closer they were going to get captured as well.  He watched as Geoff barley pulled Michael behind a tree as the gun fired again, shooting a belt thing at them. “RUN! GET OUT OF HERE! USE PLAN G!”

He locked eyes with Geoff as the ram held Michael behind the tree. The cat was clawing at the older man trying to get free, screaming Gavin’s name.  Gavin nodded at him and gave him a sad smile. Geoff frowned at him, but nodded in return. The ram then knocked his head into Michael’s, who almost instantly went limp in Geoff’s arms. The ram threw Michael over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, shouting something to Jack that Gavin didn’t hear. They turn and started running away again.

“I’m sorry Michael.” Gavin whispered as he watched them get further and further away with a teary smile. “I love-“

His whispers were cut off by a boot stomping on his back, sending Gavin’s face into the ground. The boot dug into the space on his shoulder blades, between his wings.

“Go get the others. I’ll gut this beast personally.” A deep voice commanded from above him.

Everything went black when the boot’s twin slammed into the side of his head.

 

“Where is he?” was the first thing Michael asked when he woke up. They were at another camp; Geoff was the only one in the room, sitting in a chair next to Michael’s bed. Michael knew the answer to his question when Geoff stayed silent, looking anywhere but at Michael.

Michael screamed, launching himself at Geoff, clawing and tackling the man. Geoff did nothing to protecting himself, taking everything Michael had for him.

Tears ran freely down Michaels’s face, blurring his vision. Eventually his screams turned into sobs, his body basically collapsed against the other Hybrid. Geoff wrapped his arms around Michael, carefully rubbing his back. Geoff started crying as well, but Michael was too exhausted to notice.

 

They had gone back for Gavin while Michael was still unconscious, bringing along Lindsay, a wolf-hybrid, to help follow the trail.

They found a body, burned beyond recognition, Gavin’s feather soaked in blood, and more blood then it was possible for anyone to lose without dying.

Ryan rubbed Lindsay and Ray’s backs as they threw up. Jack and Geoff buried the body silently.

All of them refused to call it Gavin, wanting to remember their friend as he was.

 

Michael said nothing after attacking Geoff.  He only sat in his room staring blankly at the wall. If one of the guys didn’t come and physical pull him out of his room, he didn’t eat, though when they came for him he didn’t put up a fight.

He was an empty shell. They didn’t just lose Gavin, they lost Michael as well.

 

Ray was the first to get him to talk again.  Three weeks after Michael woke up he walked into Michael’s room and sat down next to him on the bed.

For a while he didn’t say anything.

“Do you remember that time Gavin kicked his shoe right into Burnie’s face?” he laughed. No one else had dared to mention Gavin around Michael. “Oh my god, I thought Burnie was going to explode his face was so red, but then he whipped off his shoe and nail Gav in the nuts. We fell over laughing so hard Ah, good times, good fucking times.”

Michael looked at Ray, who noticed that for the first time in a long time his eyes weren’t so distant.

“I loved him.” Michael said in the smallest voice Ray had ever heard from his usually loud friend, though it was better than the silence. “I loved him and I never told him. He never knew.” Ray pulled Michael into a hug.

“He knew. He knew you loved him, even if you didn’t say anything.” Ray rubbed his back. “He knew every time you yelled at him for getting hurt. He knew every time you told him to get some rest. He knew every time you told him to watch his step or be careful. He knew, Michael, he knew. And he loved you back just as much.” Ray felt Michael return the hug, squeezing him tightly. “If he saw you now, what do think he would say?”

“Probably one of his fucking made up words, and then he’d call me an idiot.” Michael mumbled into Ray’s shoulder. The rabbit hybrid, thanked god for every word Michael said. Each was a blessing after the red-head being silent for so long.

“Would he want you wasting away in here? Or would he want you out there kicking all fucking types of asses?”

“Kicking fucking ass.”

“So let’s go outside, and live for Gav, and kick all the asses he can’t. “ Michael nodded against his shoulder.

“I miss him.” Michael mumbled so softly Ray’s ears barely heard it.

“We all do, Michael. As long as we remember him he won’t be gone though.”

“What about ‘YOLO’?”

Ray blinked, and then burst out laughing. He pulled back so he could give Michael a face splitting grin who returned it with a watery smile.

“Well, fuck that then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry


	3. A Gift

_Four Months Later…_

Joel walked down the corridor with a purpose in mind and a scowl on his face. His posture and size intimidated any in his way. No one gave the angry looking man in the guards uniform a second glance, in fact they made sure not too. For then he might notice and turn his anger upon them.

This was a major mistake on their part however. If Joel was to remove the standard helmet on his head they would all see an extra pair of ears that resembled a badger’s hiding in his dark hair. For you see, Joel was a badger hybrid with a peculiar mutation. A mutation that gave him two fully functional pairs of ears. One human, One Badger.

Joel had joined the Achievement Hunters after a Hybrid testing facility, which he had infiltrated, had been raided by them. He was there to collect info and sell it to the highest paying Pro-hybrid group. Geoff had offered him a full time job and he had accepted.

Mostly because of the cute rabbit that was on Geoff’s team, but also because it gave Joel a chance to actually see the good he was doing, rather than here about it in the underground newspapers.

He apparently had filled the space of a bird hybrid that had recently fallen in the line of duty. Gavin was his name. And he was warned to never mention it near Michael, the cat hybrid, if he valued his life. Even though he was larger than Micheal, the cat still struck a sense of fear into him. 

“Guard,” a voice behind Joel called out. He stopped then he calmly turned. A man in a lab coat had exited a lab room Joel had just passed and was standing in the door. “Come here, I need you to hold down this subject.” The man ordered, then re-entered the room as soon as he finished speaking, obviously expecting Joel to follow.

Joel cracked his knuckles, he’d free this one hybrid then continue with his job, which was to wipe the computers clean and send all of the relevant information to AH while the place was raided. He followed the man into the room.

“Come on, Come on.” The Man muttered. “Hold down it's leg while I run this test.” The man instructed louder, back facing Joel, focused on a computer screen.

‘It’ was an avian Hybrid that was strapped down, almost completely naked, to a metal table with his wings stretched wide. The wings themselves were painful to look at. Bloody, matted in places, plucked bare in others, feathers littered the ground around him.

Joel glared at the man’s back, silently walking up behind him.  He towered over the man, who had no idea of the wrath that was about to be unleashed upon him. Joel grabbed his neck and smashed the man’s head through the computer screen he had been reading. Then he pulled the man out of the console and swiftly twisted his neck.

The man dropped to the ground dead.

Joel move to free his fellow hybrid. The bird shuddered when Joel freed his wings.  The wings automatically curled in close to their owner, who moaned in pain. He curled away from Joel when his arms and legs were free.

“Shh,” Joel soothed, a little unsure of what to do. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“No…” the man moaned weekly.

“I’m not going hurt you. I’m going to get you out of here. I’m a hybrid too.” Joel took the helmet off, carefully watching the door. The bird un-curled a bit, still very tense. Joel took off the jacket of his uniform, wrapping it around the man.  “My name is Joel, what’s yours?”

_“HoneyBadger this is TuxedoMask, come in. What’s your status? Over.”_  Ray’s voice chirped in his ear.

“Gavin.” The man said weakly. Joel froze. He had seen picture of the Gavin in Ray’s room, but he was just now recognizing him.

“Holy shit.” He breathed out. “I know some people who will be happy to see you.” He told Gavin, who seemed confused. He brought his wrist to his mouth to speak into the microphone in his cuff. _“TuxedoMask, HoneyBadger in, I took a detour and found a badly injured hybrid. He needs immediate medical attention. The raid has to go down now. I can’t leave him behind to get to the computers and I can’t get past anyone with him. Over.”_

_“Rodger That HoneyBadger. We’re sending in Bravo, Delta, and Foxtrot in the front door right now. Alpha and Charlie are going in the back door. Over.”_

_“No!”_  Joel almost yelled. _“Alpha needs to stay behind. Over.”_

_“HoneyBadger you know Mogar has waiting for this raid all week, he’s gonna explode if he has to sit this one out. Over.”_

Joel looked Gavin over. _“ TuxedoMask, you need to trust me. Alpha_ NEEDS _to stay behind. Over.”_ Ray didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

_“Rodger that,”_ His boyfriend said with a sigh. _“But when Mogar explodes I’m pointing him in your direction. Over.”_

Joel smirked. _“I’ll gladly take that bullet. Over.”_ He turned his attention to Gavin, who was still looking confused and in a lot of pain. “I’m going to have to carry you out. How can I do that and hurt you the least?”

“On your back.” Gavin told him, still very weakly. Joel nodded, helping Gavin sit up on the metal table. With very careful maneuvering Joel got Gavin on his back piggyback style. Gavin’s arm’s were draped loosely around Joel’s shoulders.

An explosion rocked the compound.

“What was that?” Gavin sounded scarred.

“Our distraction.”

 

Michael paced furiously back and forth, tail flicking angrily. The raid was going down but Geoff’s team was held back because of fucking Ray and his stupid fucking boyfriend Joel. Neither Jack, Geoff, Ray, nor Ryan dared to approach him in the makeshift camp. They had been planning this fucking raid for god damn weeks! And no they weren’t even taking part in it.

_“TuxedoMask this is HoneyBadger, come in. Over.”_ Ray’s radio crackled to life.

_“TuxedoMask in, what’s up HoneyBadger? Over.”_

_“I’m almost at camp, is NurseC ready? Over.”_ Everyone looked over to Caleb who nodded, standing from the empty cot he was sitting on.

“I’m good to go. Ask Joel what injuries do they  have.”

_“We’re all good here, HoneyBadger. What type injuries do they have? Over.”_ Michael watched Ray relay in to the radio. He turned to look out for Joel.

_“From what I can tell, his wings have been cut and plucked, they had him on some machine when I found him-what?“_ Joel stopped talking for a minute, Michael could pick up someone else talking close to Joel’s mic.  _“He just said that they’ve been shocking him and that he hasn’t’ eaten or drank anything in a long time. Over.”_ Joel said threw what sounded like gritted teeth.

Michael’s tail flicked again. This kind of treatment of hybrids is exactly why Michael wanted to be in this raid kicking some fucking ass.

Michael’s ear twitched, he could hear Joel now. He looked over and saw that Jack and Ray had heard them too.

It was a minute before Michael could see them. He, Caleb, Geoff, and Ray ran out to meet them half way. Michael Could see the poor guy slumped on Joel’s back, horrid looking wings dragging behind them. Joel was walking quickly, but not running.

“He just passed out a minute ago.” Joel said kind of panicky as they got close.

“Help me get him off Joel’s back and on to the stretcher.” Caleb instructed as he laid the stretcher on the ground. Joel let the kid’s legs down carefully. Michael finally noticed how young the hybrid looked. Then he froze. The kid had a striking resemblance to- No. Michael shook his head. There was no way.

He helped Geoff lay the hybrid on his stomach on the stretcher. Caleb was about to strap him down when he moaned.

“Joel what’s his name?” Caleb asked quickly, moving to be near the hybrid’s head. “Can you hear me?” he asked not waiting for Joel to answer. “I need you to listen to the sound of my voice. Can you move your wings?”

“Gavin.”

Everyone froze. All eyes turned to Joel in shock. Michael felt like he had been plunged into cold water.

“W-what?” Geoff’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“His name is Gavin.” Joel looked Geoff in the eye, unblinking.

Michael’s head whipped back to the hybrid-Gavin, when he moaned again. He dropped to Caleb’s side, spurring the mouse hybrid back into action.

“GAVIN! Come on you got to wake up. Come on It’s your boi, Michael.”  Michaels rambled as he gently brushed some of Gavin’s bangs out of his face. “Wake up, so I can kick your ass.” He continued. “I just got you back, I’m not going to lose you again.”

 

If Gavin was going to die, he had to admit it was a nice way to go.  A delusion that brought ‘Joel’ who was going to save him. He would have preferred it to have been Michael, but any release was sweet from this hell hole.

_“...an you move your…”_

He could hear voices talking around him. They sounded worried.

“GAVIN!” He heard his Michael yell. “…t going to lose you again.”

This is a nice dream. Gavin decided, he should wake up, maybe he could see Michael again.

His eyelids felt heavy. Maybe he should just keep them closed…

 “Gavin, please, please wake up…” He heard Michael again.

His eyes fluttered open. It was dark, but he could see a beautiful face in front of his. It belonged to Michael, his Michael. He smiled. Reaching out to him, Michael noticed and grabbed his hand, bringing close to his face.

“My little Michael.” He cooed. And Michael let out a sob, tears running down his face.

“Gavvers.” Michael gave him a huge, teary, smile.

 

_Epilogue_

“GAVIN!” Michael yelled in rage. He had just caught his boyfriend in the fucking act of stuffing catnip in their pillows. The bird squawked and jumped off their bed. Wings and limbs fling everywhere. He quickly scrambled to his feat. “You are so fucking dead.” Michael hissed at him.

“Michael,” Gavin started holding his hands up in defense as he backed away as Michael approached him, looking positively murderous, though he couldn’t stop laughing.

“Mycoool.” Michael mocked as he pounced. Gavin let out another squawk as he failed to escape. He was pinned by the cat hybrid.

“AH! MICHAEL NO!!!” He yelled as Michael relentlessly tickled him. “Stop please!” he tried pushing his boi off of him to no result. Michael suddenly changed his tactic, mouth latching onto Gavin’s neck right at the collar bone.

“I’m coming Vav!” Ray cried busting in the door that lead outside to the camp. Seeing Gavin in the Michael in the compromising position he immediately shielded his eyes. “Seriously?! You guys fuck more than Joel and I do. And I a rabbit!” he complained.

“Well at least we don’t bust in on you guys.” Michael pulled away from Gavin’s throat.

“Well next time I hear Vav screaming, I’ll make sure not to bust in to save him.” Ray said with mock anger. “Or I will, I’m up for a threesome, maybe even a foursome.” He winked.

“Bye Ray.” Gavin whined. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Rude.” Ray grumbled, closing the door behind him.

“Now where were we?” Gavin jumped when he felt Michael’s tail running up his leg. Smiling up at his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last chapter! I hope you liked it, i might write a sequeal but i dont know yet.


End file.
